Calif. candidates raise more than $1 billion

SACRAMENTO 
Candidates for governor and other state offices have raised more than $1 billion in campaign contributions and other politically related payments since 2001, generating doubt about the effectiveness of donation limits adopted by voters.

California's campaign watchdog agency, the Fair Political Practices Commission, said Monday that the flood of fundraising "demonstrates that the goal of reducing special interest money remains elusive."

The FPPC issued a report that added up various types of fundraising by candidates for state offices since voters approved Proposition 34 in 2000.

That measure, put on the ballot by lawmakers and then-Gov. Gray Davis, imposed a series of limits on the size of contributions made directly to candidates for governor, the Legislature and other state offices.

Those limits currently range from $3,900 for candidates for the Legislature to $25,900 for contenders for governor. They replaced tighter limits that had been struck down by a federal judge.

Some critics contend that lawmakers approved the Proposition 34 limits because they feared that an appeals court would revive the tougher limits.

According to the FPPC, state candidates and officeholders have collected more than $721 million for their election campaigns under the Proposition 34 limits. On top of that, they've been able to raise:

– Nearly $37 million through old campaign committees that were not covered by Proposition 34.

– $53.3 million by forming campaign committees to run for other offices, including local offices that often don't have donation limits.

– $149 million by organizing ballot measure committees that have no contribution limits.

– More than $40 million in so-called behested payments, which are unlimited contributions made at the request of a candidate or officeholder to an inauguration, a charity or another cause. These contributions are often made by groups that lobby at the Capitol.

– $4 million for legal defense funds, which also don't have contribution limits.

– $1.9 million for officeholder accounts, which are formed to cover travel and other expenses associated with holding office.

Officeholder accounts have donation limits that range from $3,200 for legislators to $21,500 for the governor. There also are overall limits on the size of the accounts, ranging from $53,800 a year for lawmakers to $215,000 for the governor.

Ross Johnson, the former state legislator who chairs the Fair Political Practices Commission, said the report was intended to trigger discussions about whether California's contribution limits need to be lower and broader.

"It makes no logical sense to say that a contribution to a re-election campaign – anything above $3,900 – is assumed to be undue influence on you, while that same contributor could give $1 million to a ballot measure committee you might control," he said.

He predicted the commission would take a "serious look" at recommending that the Legislature adopt tougher campaign contribution controls.

Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies, a Los Angeles-based think tank that studies campaign finance issues, said there have been preliminary discussions among campaign reformers about trying to put an initiative on the ballot to tighten contribution limits.